Kelly
by green-potted-plant
Summary: A girl falls into Middle Earth...yes I know again. Trying to be original here, go on give it a chance, pretty please?
1. Chapter 1

Okay, new story. This is a little clichéd it's your typical girl falls into ME fic, hopefully with a little bit of originality! And hopefully not a Mary Sue. Please Read and REVIEW…this story is set to be a fairly long one, you have been warned!

Kelly 

CHAPTER 1- In which we meet the 'heroine'

My life is dull, actually it's worse than that, it's tragic. Well not tragic in the terrible 'woe is me, what tragedy has befallen me' but tragic as in it's lame. Which in itself is a bit misleading, not to say that my life is boring and that nothing has happened to me, come to think of it my life so far has been rather interesting, full of ups and downs, not all happy I'll admit but I've had my moments.

I guess the truth of it is I'm one of those people who sits surrounded by a large group of friends and yet feels lonely. To be honest I never feel quite as absolutely alone in the world as when I'm surrounded by people, I guess I'm sort of a walking contradiction in that way.

So what is there to say about me? I'm not introverted or extraverted, I'm shy when I first meet people but once I know them I talk all the time. I can be humorous when the mood takes me but I'm not a funny person. I surround myself with beautiful people and later wonder why I feel inadequate. I over analyse everything, always questioning the motives of those around me, wondering why they do certain things, I'm probably a bit paranoid, as their motives all become a bit suspicious- I really need to start thinking in shallow terms. I prefer one or two friends who I can trust with everything than I would a large number of shallow friendships.

So where am I? I'm in a pokey bedroom, the smallest one that you could possibly imagine, it resembles a corridor with a lump taken out from one side for an 'en suit' translation being a cupboard with running water. To explain the dynamics of my bathroom I could sit on the toilet whilst taking a piss, brush my teeth leaning over the sink and clean my feet in the shower all at the same time...so it's not minuscule, it's actually promoting multitasking. Which is, as I'm sure most would agree a very valuable ability to have, especially when one is training to be a nurse, which subsequently I am.

It's just occurred to me that this is beginning to sound a little bit like a Hugh Grant monologue from one of his classics, such as Notting Hill, God help me.

Where was I? ... Never mind. This is, if you haven't guessed an introduction to me and a prologue to my story. Explaining something's about me, which I feel need to be established before I tell you about what happened. You see, I'm a fan of 'Lord of the rings,' I love to read, and I love the Internet, which naturally leads to a love of fan fiction. Perhaps that's why I need to introduce myself, so that I can be fairly judged as an 'OC' or a Mary Sue- and lets get this straight, I don't have long perfect hair in 'jet black,' 'shining silver,' 'golden blond,' or 'a rich brown that shines red in fire light.' Nor are my eyes emerald green, deepest sea blue, stunning violet or change randomly depending on my mood. Oh and when I cry, you don't get the 'one singly crystalline tear rolling down a pale smooth velvety cheek,' you get puffy red swollen eyes, runny nose, and a weird hiccuppy noise which comes from me crying so hard I can't actually breathe properly.

I am quite bluntly average. My hair is a mousy-ish brown, just blond enough for people to ask me if I consider myself a blond before launching into a round of rude blond jokes. My eyes are brown, plain but I am quite fond of them as a friend told me that they light up when I smile. I tried to test this theory by smiling in a mirror however apparently it only works when I am genuinely happy. I'm not skinny nor fat, but well proportioned with cleavage to be proud of.

There is far more to tell but I'm sure that you get the general idea, it's about time that I got on with it. So where to start?

Well, it was mid-January, a time I normally don't mind but as a nurse who works twelve and a half hour shifts (and must be up at five A.M) I do miss the sunlight. I was up and dressed after another particularly bad night of sleep due to my typical nightmares and general insomnia and was braving the cold and dark on the long endless trek to the bus stop. Okay, it's ten minutes but in the freezing cold and snow (yes, snow!) it's a long walk. Plus there's the braving 'almost certain death factor'.

The 'almost certain death factor' is actually cross roads, which have no pedestrian crossing and is hidden under a massive railway bridge, so it's nice and dark. Plus because of the curve in the road you can't really see a car/bus/lorry hurtling towards you until it's practically on top of you. In which case you have just about enough time to 'Meep' and then you're flattened.

Luckily on this particular day, I made it safely passed the 'almost certain death factor' crossroads and continued on my journey. I reached the roundabout, which is a strange dual carriage way contraption surrounded by zebra crossings. Now by British law, the moment someone steps out onto a zebra crossing all oncoming traffic must stop. Me being the somewhat paranoid person I am, I don't walk out onto the crossing, I stand on the curb and wait for the cars to stop. There aren't that many cars at 6.20 in the morning but still, once the car stopped I began to cross.

Now I'm not too sure what exactly happened next. Maybe the driver of the white van didn't see me as I was hidden from view behind the car in the other lane, maybe he was yawning, or sneezing or on his mobile phone. What I do know was that there was a screech of brakes and then the foul stench of burning rubber. That and I was vaguely aware I was no longer standing up but was in fact lying in a crumpled heap some meters away from where I had first started out.

It actually took me a while to realise that I'd been hit by the van. The reason it took so long was because it didn't hurt, which was the scariest thing. Quite possibly the worst thing about being in the health care profession is when you need medical treatment yourself you know all the ins and outs of it from the other side. Bearing this in mind I knew that not feeling any pain after being hit by a van and thrown across the road was not a good thing. It was in fact very bad. Either I was in shock, or I was dying and my brain was shutting itself down, more than likely a combination of both. Either way I was quite understandably terrified, more so when my vision started to go.

Having only fainted once before in my life (a highly embarrassing story which I may mention later) I recognised the signs. The weird creeping darkness starting from the edge of your vision and moving in until you can't see anything, muffled hearing and then nothing.

Now as this was happening I was wondering, will I regain consciousness or will I wake up in some strange afterlife, if for the matter there even is an afterlife.

As I began to wake up, I noticed two things which I considered answers to that question, one- I was in absolutely no pain what so ever, nor did I feel sleepy of sluggish, which meant I was not on heavy duty pain killers. Two- I was still in the same crumpled heap on the floor, if I was in a hospital I would have been on a bed and even if I had mangled every single bone in my body, they would have made some effort to straighten me out.

Dead then.

So I push myself up into a sitting position to get a good look at this afterlife I'm in. The ease that I sit up with just adding to my belief I'm now dead. A quick glance around me tells me that I must have done something terribly awful in life because this is most definitely hell.

That should probably be my own personal hell, I'm sure to someone that this would be heaven, but it's not to me. It's a wood, or a forest I'm not sure. Did I mention that I hate woods? I remember one foster family I stayed with when I was about six, they tried to take me on a picnic to the woods. I screamed the moment I saw them, and clung to my foster mums leg and the door of the car refusing point blank to enter the trees. Needless to say I was soon back in the children's home after that little display. I can't really decide what it is that I hate so much about woods and trees, I guess it started in my dreams.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've had the same recurrent nightmare. To begin with it's alright, I'm standing in the most beautiful woods you could imagine, but then I start to run. I don't know what I'm running from, it makes no sound and I never see it. I just have to run and if I don't run, if it reaches me terrible things will happen. And so I run and run, and run, until my legs are burning and my body feels heavy and I can't breathe properly and I know it's about to reach me...and I wake up.

So now here I am, in the middle of an afterlife/hell forest with no idea what to do. Shouldn't God or Buddah or something tell me what to do? Satan perhaps? With the extreme lack of explaining deities, I decided to walk for it, sooner or later I will have to reach a road or something. Right?

Two hours later, or what I'm guessing is two hours later, I'm really not that good at estimating things and my fob watch got destroyed when I 'died', I'm still walking, and it's still a forest. It's no longer a wood, it's too big to be a wood and there is still no road. What's worse is I'm running out of things to think about, and songs to sing, and movie scripts to recite. I have bad coping skills, people tell me this all the time, I've been relatively successful in ignoring the fact I'm dead and lost in a tree filled afterlife but only by continuously thinking about other things. Soon I'm going to have to start thinking about and accepting the truth, which I'm not ready for yet. Is it possible to have a panic attack in the after life? What about a mental break down?

Luckily I manage to draw myself out of my musings and catch myself before I walked into the arrow. It would have been embarrassing to have both been hit by a van and impaled on an arrow in the same day...

About then I realise that someone is pointing an extremely sharp and pointy arrow in my face, and that without me realising it I've been surrounded by people. Although 'people' isn't really the correct word, starring dumbly, I get a good look at them. And re-evaluate my being in hell, these, people or beings have to be angels. Someone up there...up here must like me. Except that all six angels have sharp and pointy arrows aimed at me.

The one in front of me lowers his bow a little.

"Westron?" I'm assuming it's a question but what he's asking I'm not entirely sure.

I blink at him, for a few seconds and try to think of a suitable answer. My oh so intelligent brain came up with; "Excuse me?" So now the incredibly gorgeous golden haired angel must now think that I'm an idiot. Although my answer can't have been too bad as the golden one makes a hand gesture and the others lower their bows and back off a few paces.

Taking this as a good sigh I brave asking a question. "Um, I hate to bother you but I, ah, seem to be a little lost. I don't suppose you could give me directions?"

He smiles back at me, although I'm craning my neck to look up at him, and I'm quite tall anyway. And he answers, "Of course my lady, where were you planning on travelling to?"

Again I stare up at him, and once again he must think I'm an idiot. Where am I going again? Purgatory is a safe bet; maybe I should ask him where I'm going. Perhaps this is a test. Before I can formulate some sort of answer he said.

"We can help you find your escort, if that is what you need."

"I don't have an escort." I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who got squished by a white transit van.

That apparently was the wrong thing to say, a muttering goes around the small group and the one in front of me stares at me incredulously. Which draws their attention away from my clothes (which they had been previously staring at), honestly, it's not that good of a uniform. Surely in the afterlife people or angels aren't still hung up on that ridiculous nurses fetish? And honestly what is that? What on earth could possibly be considered attractive or sexy about what nurses do?

"A woman alone, unarmed in these woods? Milady these are dangerous times, you should not..."

Now I'm highly confused, if you're dead then nothing can happen to you right? What could possibly be a danger to me, unless there was some soul eating demon lurking around. But come to think of it I don't feel particularly soul like, more solid, more alive. Then a truly terrifying thought occurs to me. What if I'm not dead, what if I'm in a coma and this is some weird deluded dream? Or even worse, what if this is real?

Some of my terror must have shown on my face because the golden one is looking at me with concern.

"Where am I?"

He answers softly, "The borders of Imladris Milady."

Imladris, okay so that's, that's Rivendale, a place in a book. A fictional book. A not real, it came from a persons imagination type of place. Suddenly I don't feel so well, and I think that maybe I'm going to faint for the second time in my life, or is that third?

I glance back to the golden one in front of me and whisper softly, "I need help."

He nods and smiles at me in a way that is both friendly and pitying. Then says, "I am Glorfindel, Seneschal to Elrond, and captain of the guard. And you are?"

My vision is going again, but I have to fight a bubble of hysterical laughter, of course he's Glorfindel, the reborn Balrog slayer who else would he be? I have just enough time to reply before I collapse.

"I'm Kelly."

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A/N, so that's it the first chapter. Tell me what you think bites fingernails all comments, advice and constructive feedback are most welcome and if you just want to say 'hey I read this', feel free. It encourages me to continue. Next chapter shall be around soon.

Xxx

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Xxx

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	2. Chapter 2

Many thank yous to Jessi Gurrl my one and only reviewer! It's been a while since I've been on here, last time I was here you couldn't see how many hits your story has. It's good though, nice to see that people are reading!

CHAPTER 2

Waking up was an interesting experience. I'm lying down again, flat on my back and I almost had myself convinced that I was in my flat in my bed and recovering from a rather odd dream.

That doesn't explain the voices I can hear some distance off to my left.

Memories of getting knocked down by the white van begin to resurface and I groan, I must be in hospital then, and some noisy patients are chattering beside me. As my mind processes the bizarre dream that I just had, I come to the conclusion that when I get home, I definitely need to stop reading those 'Girl falls into middle earth stories' I snort a little at the thought and force my eyes open.

Imagine my surprise when in stead of being presented with the oh-so-dull hospital coloured ceilings, I am staring up at a canopy of leaves, which are swaying slightly in the breeze, through them I can see the clear starry sky.

Cautiously I sit up, still staring at the sky, and realise that their is no longer the sound of chatter coming from my side. Turning to the group of people, I manage to drag my eyes away and look at them.

The golden haired man smiles and begins to say, "Milady, you are awake. We were beginning to wonder..."

At which point I stopped listening, or more like my hearing stopped working and the last things I remember thinking were, firstly a mental correction, he was not a golden haired man, he was a golden haired elf. Secondly, how was it possible to live nineteen years of life and never faint and then in the space of two months, faint four times?

The next time I woke, couldn't have been much after I fainted, it was still dark, although I couldn't see the sky as the golden haired elf...Glorfindel was crouched over me, looking very concerned.

Knowing that I was in danger of fainting again I decided on a different approach to vent my shock. After all if I really was in middle Earth, no way in hell was I going to be a fragile MS, who faints all the time.

So I screamed. Really screamed. Burst you ear drum type scream.

It only occurred to me afterwards that elves probably had really sensitive hearing, which is why all present, covered their ears. Except Glorfindel, who covered my mouth, or tried to. Tried to because I bit him.

Okay, so classic fan fiction ahead I muse, girl falls into middle earth and bites legendary reborn Balrog slayer. I'm not sure if it was pain or just shock that someone actually bit him but he quickly released me.

So I screamed again.

Once again he covered my mouth with his massive palm, this time gripping my face so I can't move my head or close my mouth to bite him.

Taking a calming breathe, he states, "Lady Kelly, we mean you know harm. We found you lost and without an escort. Remember? We wish to help you. Now if I remove my hand, you must promise me that you will not scream, else you will draw every orc and goblin in a hundred leagues. Do I have your word you will not scream?"

I sit and stare at him blankly, wondering vaguely how to respond. After all I can't nod or speak when he's holding me like that. So I decided to lick his palm, in a classic 'please remove your hand' type gesture. In retrospect that response was most likely due to me deciding that this world was definitely not real, therefore I could behave as I wanted.

This time he withdraws his hand, just as quickly, now looking at me with a mixture of concern, confusion, disgust and maybe even a hint of amusement.

Looking at me warily, he seemed to be waiting for another out burst.

I took my time to observe the camp that I had found myself in. A fair sized fire lit up a circle of what I assumed were sleeping mats, on which sat a group of elves, all armed. Presumably a patrol of some sort...or they would be if this was real, which it blatantly wasn't.

Most of the 'elves' were dark haired, although it was impossible to tell their true colouring in the firelight. Although it was impossible to miss the fact that two of them were identical. Great, I would just happen to 'fall into Middle Earth' and bump straight into Glorfindel and then Elrond's identical peredhil sons. Any minute now the fellowship would appear and Legolas would declare his undying love to me.

I look back at the Glorfindel impostor in front of me, he's still eyeing me expectantly.

"Where am I?" Ok so not polite but what do you want? I'm in shock, at least I didn't faint or scream.

'Glorfindel' seems relieved, "You are in Imladris, we found you on the borders saying that you were lost. When you fainted we feared you ill, so we decided to take you to the last homely house."

I nod and decide that I'll catch him out, hopefully if I ask a random question, he'll answer without thinking and I'll end this silly practical joke. "Can I borrow you're mobile? I need to call work and tell them I'll be late."

He blinks, a look of confusion marring his face, "A mobile?"

Damn he's good. Okay well I've had enough, I'm all for jokes but making a girl think she's dead, that she's in a coma or insane is just low. I bet this is Amy, one of my flat mates, she's always pulling stunts like this and she makes fun of my love for Lord of the Rings fan fiction. It has to be her.

Pushing my self onto my knees I crawl the short distance across the sleeping mat they put me on, until I am squatting on my heels directly in front of him and start inspecting his hair line, looking for obvious signs it's a wig, like glue, I tug at the strands a bit as well. Not hard enough to hurt but hard enough to shift a wig.

Okay so it's not a wig, he must be one of those hippy types. Next inspection the ears. I tilt his head to one side and study his ears. I don't touch them though, at least not at first, some where I read that Elven ears were very sensitive and erogenous zones and that touching them was very intimate. This prevented me touching the ears for all of thirty seconds until I told myself that they were definitely fake prosthetics that were glued on.

So I reach across and gently hold the tip of his ear between my palm and index finger. For some reason I'm unwilling to yank is ear.

I didn't manage to hold on for long or to give the gentle tug I intended.

Several things happened at once, Glorfindel gave a sort of odd strangled sound, snatched my hand away, the group of elves by the fire gave a startled grasp and then arrows started flying.

To cut a short and confusing few minutes down even shorter, apparently we were attacked by orcs, not that I knew this at the time; I was knocked unconscious (again). Not by the orcs but by Glorfindel who flung me out of the way of the fighting and head first into a tree.

I didn't lose consciousness right away, I lay on the forest floor, my vision coming and going, starring at big blobs running at smaller glowy blobs.

Yes the elves were glowing. Odd how I didn't notice that before. One thing I did notice however though and this was the really disturbing thing was that although I didn't get to see if Glorfindel's ears were prosthetics I did feel they were warm and had a good strong pulse.

My sluggish mind tried to comprehend that and with a sigh I gave over to unconsciousness. My final thought being...I'm such a Mary Sue.

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A/N: Giggles. Another chapter up. Huzzah. Next one next week perhaps, unless I can be encourage otherwise.

PLEASE REVIEW! This is a new writing style for me and I'd like to know if people think it works, I normally write in third person and writing in first is a bit of an adventure. SO if you think it works, or detracts from the story of what ever I'd really like to know.

Until next time.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN** Yes I do know that it's been forever since I updated but real life has eaten me. I now return and will hopefully get a chance to start getting on with my fictions again.

Disclaimer; Yup it's still not mine, all I own is the laptop I'm typing on and the T button has started to stick ) :

...///...On with the story...///...

Waking up this time, I noticed that I was actually in bed. I decided that I would keep my eyes closed for a while this time so that I could come to terms with what had happened rather than just get up scream, scream some more and faint.

Okay so summary of the events thus far-

1 I was hit by a white van – potentially fainted

2 I woke up in a strange forest

3 I was found by 'elves'

4 I fainted

5 I woke up and screamed

6 I fainted (this is becoming a common theme).

The next list I went over was what this whole 'thing' was. Where 'it' was and how was I here.

Well first thought was that I was dead. Which I no longer believe, as I don't think dead people wind up in their favourite books, not quite sure where they end up but this probably isn't it. Then there's the 'this is a practical joke theory', which is looking less likely by the minute as this is all far too intricate. No way Amy could put this together, even candid camera wouldn't be able to do all this just to trick me.

So that left the final two options either A, I was hit by that van and am dreaming or B I'm actually here. I decided that I would go with A as accepting this was real would me accepting that I had bitten and accidentally sexually assaulted the legendary reborn Balrog slayer in my quest to discover if he was elven or not.

Okay, that sorted, now what? I'm trapped in a weird coma dream, how do I act? I'm used to being stuck in nightmares so I guess that I will just have to go with the flow, play a MS as best I can and wait till I wake up, lest this turn into another nightmare.

Game plan in mind I slowly crack my eyes open...and promptly sit up in shock. I was expecting to be in the wilderness when I woke up but this is...this is...what is this?

"You are in the healing houses of my father." I turn to the sound of the voice and see the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Arwen judging by look and the fact she mentioned this being her fathers healing house. Then I wonder how she answered my question with out my asking, does she do that weird creepy Galadriel mind reading thing.

She steps forward, or more like glides forwards...if this was a practical joke I'd be thinking she was on roller skates to move that smoothly. "I am Arwen, Daughter or Elrond Half-Elven. The border patrol bought you here because you were injured and needed healing."

She smiles at me, waiting for me to say something, instead I reach up and touch the bandage that is wrapped around my forehead. Oddly enough all my sarcastic inner voice can come up with is 'hmm attractive.'

I turn to her, remembering my plan and smile in return. "Lady Arwen, thank you for your help. I'm Kelly, um...surely you have better things to do than sit and watch over me?"

All right not the best of conversation starters here but I am trying, at least there was no screaming or fainting.

"You are a guest here in our home, should I as hostess not care for you?"

I raise an eyebrow at her, instantly regretting it as my head begins to throb. If we were in America I would say that she's afraid of being sued as her captain knocked me out...fair play I suppose considering I groped him a minute before.

She smiles this time in slight amusement and embarrassment. "You have been unconscious for several days. In his guilt Glorfindel refused to leave your side but he was exhausted from his patrol and the injuries he sustained in the fight. We convinced him to rest but only on the agreement that someone would be at your side at all times."

I nod, that at least makes sense.

She's about to say something else but the door swings open she turns and smiles to whoever is entering, I couldn't see to start with from my bed but when I could...and I thought Glorfindel was good looking. He's nothing compared to this one. Who is he? Healer? Messenger?

"Adar, our guest has awakened."

Adar...that means Father right? That's Elrond? Okay not what I was expecting, Arwen resembles Liv Tyler from the films in most ways except she has this weird glow-ey radiance thing and sort of looks ethereal.

Elrond on the other hand? There is a resemblance I'll give you that but he has none of the age that Hugo Weaving has, don't get me wrong you could tell he was ancient, it was in his eyes but at the same time he looked no older than a twenty year old human. He had the same radiance that Arwen has except he glows brighter, almost as if you can feel the power seeping out of him and into the surroundings.

Elrond turns slightly and smiles kindly at me. And I swear my stomach jumped up a few inches, turned over and then dropped back down to its original position. Odd.

"Welcome to Imladris, young one. I trust that you are feeling well?"

I blink and try to get over the sound of his voice and form a response. "Imladris?" Oh nice one.

Arwen is once again looking concerned, "Rivendale?" Her prompt doesn't help and I just know I have that blank gormless look on my face.

"Where do you hale from?" Elrond's question strikes me silent, what was I supposed to say, the real world, only head traumas made me a little loopy?

At my prolonged silence, Elrond moves forwards a little, "Where were you travelling to?"

Finally I answer "I don't know." After all there's only so long you can sit in silence staring blankly at a world famous fictional elf-lord. I really hope that I don't react like this when I see all elves mentioned in the books, or they're going to start thinking that I'm seriously retarded.

When I come out of my thought train I realise that I must have made some sort of mistake, Arwen is looking very worried and Elrond has a...well I'm not sure what that expression is.

"You don't remember where you are from? Or why you were in our woods?" Arwen's pitying question gives me a brilliant idea, that's the answer of course. Simply play up that I don't remember, that I have amnesia. I've read enough Tolkein and watched the films enough times to be a passable confused mortal from some distant realm.

So looking up, masking my face into what I hope is a mixture of both confusion and fear, I shake my head. "I don't know, why can't I remember?"

The expression on Elrond's face intensifies, Arwen on the other hand sits on the side of my bed and gently enfolds my hand in hers. "It's alright don't be afraid, just try to concentrate, what can you remember?"

"My name is Kelly, I was in the woods but I didn't know where I was going, and then Glorfindel was there." I let my lower lip tremble as well, just an added extra.

"Do you remember anything before that?" I shook my head again and was about to answer Arwen's question when Elrond interrupted.

"Arwen, I'm sure that our guest is hungry, perhaps you could go to the kitchens and fetch some food?"

Arwen smiled reassuringly at me, released my hands and glided out of the room. Leaving me alone with Elrond. All of a sudden I'm sure that the expression he is wearing means trouble for me.

Studying my face carefully he begins, "When healing your injuries I touched your mind, to ensure no damage was done."

Oh crap. So what does that mean he knows I don't have amnesia or he's seen where I'm from?

"There was no lasting damage done, that would cause such a problem." Then he waits expectantly for me to explain what is going on.

Sighing I decided I have to tell the truth, but as little of it as possible. "I can't explain that to you, so please don't ask me to. I'm from...a place that is a long way away and I can't go back, please let me stay for the night at least, I can leave first thing in the morning."

Several things made me offer to leave. Firstly if I do leave then I'll go somewhere like Bree where people wont ask questions or care where I'm from. Secondly this is the last Homely house, I'm sure that he wont send me away but hopefully offering will show good intentions.

Elrond examines my face for a moment longer, "You refuse to tell me where you are from, or who you are?"

I cringe slightly and nod.

"Do you swear that you are of no danger to this realm or her people?"

I nod, then say, "I swear."

Elrond takes a deep breath, then says, "Then you may remain here until you are ready to leave." And with that he turns and sweeps out of the room.

I sit there for a while and watch the door swing silently shut. Okay, so I'm allowed to stay, Elrond doesn't trust me and Arwen thinks I have amnesia, well this is just great, I've been conscious for all of fifteen minutes and I've already messed up by lying to the evenstar and alienating the ruler of the realm. Just peachy.

...///...///...///...///...3rdP...///...///...///...///...

Erestor, Elrond's chief advisor, stood patiently outside the houses of healing, waiting for his Lord and friend to exit. When he did Erestor hurried to his side.

"You allowed her to stay, even though she refuses to speak truthfully to you?"

Elrond paused slightly, "You heard?" At Erestor's answering nod he continued, "I find myself unwilling to turn the girl away. There is some riddle about her."

"A riddle which you are intent on solving?" Elrond smiled to his friend, "You know me to well."

Erestor nodded and smiled in return as they walked across the courtyard and back to the half-elf's study. He had a nasty feeling that this girl was going to cause problems and uproot everything, but he would not interfere, if Elrond was occupied with the mystery that was this mortal child, then he was not consumed in his own misery.

Anything that stopped him from brooding was a gift from the Valar as far as he was concerned. So this in mind he prompted, "Did you examine the clothes that she was wearing? I have never seen such material or stitching."

Elrond nodded, intrigued, "The style was unlike anything that I have seen before..."

And with that, Elrond was well and truly distracted.


	4. Chapter 4

Yup, back again and so soon, I know, be shocked. Thank you for the reviews they make me smile!

On with the story...

Arwen came back a few minutes later, at least I think it was a few minutes later, I was staring at a tapestry on the wall thinking very random thoughts about how unhygienic tapestries were in a hospital area. And did I mention bad coping strategies?

The food Arwen bought turned out to be a thin sort of soup, the type of thing people would call broth but I have a weird dislike of that word. Gives me a mental image of a cave man boiling a bone in hot water. Anyway turned out the soup wasn't that bad. Arwen was bustling around the room whilst I ate it, not looking at me which was good, as I have an aversion to most people watching me eat I don't think I could stand some one that perfect watch me drop soup all over myself.

When I was finished Arwen wordlessly took the bowl and took it to the door, where she spoke softly in what I can only assume is elvish and returned with an armful of pink fabric.

Smiling she shook out the long dress, "I thought you might like to get dressed, so I may give you a tour. Imladris can be daunting to one who does not know it."

I glance at the dress then down at my uniform...what does she think this is, pyjamas? Sighing I stand up, best behave, play along and sooner or later I'll wake up in a padded room with an oh so attractive straight jacket on.

"Um, It's nice." I lie. Okay so in truth probably the finest article of clothing I'll ever wear but it's pink and merely on principle of the pink-ness I must dislike it. One thing of growing up in foster care, every time a prospective family came it was on with the pink dress, hair in pig tails and look cute and innocent, maybe they'll want to keep you.

Arwen obviously recognises that my tone is off and looks at me inquisitively. "I can find something else if you prefer?"

Really not blending in as planned. "No, no it's fine. I just don't think that I've ever worn anything so fine." Which turned out to be the right thing to say as she launched into a long spiel on how the last homely house was a Mecca for all crafts men, from minstrels to seamstresses and blacksmiths to cooks.

Much to my endless embarrassment she insisted on helping me into the dress, not that I could have managed without the help, but having an elven princess help you dress is just plain embarrassing. Especially when you're of the regular human variety and she's of the stunning elven goddess variety. I wonder if all the other Mary-Sues became as neurotic as I'm going to be?

We were just about to leave the healing wing when the door swung open, almost clocking me in the head. Which when I realised who it was would have probably been fair, I'm still feeling a bit awkward about molesting Glorfindel.

The warrior stopped about to apologise the seemed to realise who it was he almost collided with. "Lady Kelly? I heard that you were awake and came to see if you wished for a tour?"

I blinked, this guy must really be feeling guilty about the throwing me into a tree thing. I was about to tell him that I was in fact already booked on an 'Imladris tour' (official trademark), but Arwen beat me to it.

"That is a wonderful idea, I promised Lindir that I would sing with him after dinner this eve, so I shall leave you to it."

Which didn't strike me as particularly hostess-like, then I caught a twinkle in her eye, she obviously found this amusing. I was starting to get the feeling elves weren't so distant and other-worldly as they'd been made out to be in the books. And I wasn't even going to start analysing that fact I was questioning my surroundings as if they were real because that would cause problems I really was not ready for.

When I looked up, Arwen was gone and Glorfindel was looking at me with a slightly worried expression, probably thinking that the bump on the head had done more damage than they'd thought. I really have got to stop thinking so much.

"Soooo...where to?"

"I thought we should start with the hall of fire"

"Oh, cool." I said thinking of the legendary room mentioned by Tolkein.

Glorfindel stopped and looked at me, "Forgive me, are you cold Lady Kelly? I can have the servants find a shawl."

I stared at him for a second before realising the word cool had no colloquial value here. "Um, no I'm fine. Soooo..." I said drastically casting around for a subject to distract him from the oddness I was displaying.

"How's you hand?" Great, remind him that I tried to take a chunk out of his palm with my teeth.

He was smiling at me with amusement though so I guess no lasting damage was done. "It is fine, that was a, um, very resourceful way of defending ones self."

I had the vague urge to add, 'yeah if your a piranha' but refrained.

For a while we walked in silence, I was concentrating fully on not tripping over the dress, which was about four inches too long, and would have probably suited someone Arwens height. Actually come to think of it that's probably where the dress came from. Oh well I'd survive, as long as they didn't expect me to go up any stairs because that would probably result in another bump to the head.

"How is your head feeling? Elrond tells me that you cannot remember your past, I must apologise, I-"

"It's fine. My head I mean, is fine, not my memory cause that's gone, which isn't your fault, just one of those things, you know?" Which no he probably didn't know, I could now add lying and making him feel guilty to my growing list of transgressions against him.

He looked unconvinced at my assurance that it wasn't his fault but didn't say anything due to us having reached the fabled hall of fire. I was struck speechless by the sheer size of it, and then the intricate details carved onto the wooden surfaces. Tapestries covered the walls, and great arching windows down one side gave a view of the magnificent valley, full of waterfalls and cliff faces.

I turned speechless admiring the room and noticed that there were a number of elves in the room, setting up what looked like instruments, whilst others arranged chairs and comfortable looking pillows. All had stopped their work to get a good look at me. I had to suppress a groan, apparently I was the centre of attention and probably gossip, this was going to be a long tour.

Ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000

I flopped down on my bed a few hours later. Glorfindel and then Arwen had encouraged me to go to the main hall to dine with the others but I had refused claiming to be too tired, which was only partially true. Mainly I didn't want several hundred elves staring at me whilst I ate. Dropping food and probably trailing the long and drappy sleeves of the dress in the soup.

So Arwen had brought me here, to a suite in the guest wing, bade me good night and promised to send a servant up with some food.

The rooms were large and spacious, the door opened into a grand sitting room, with a large fire place and comfortable chairs positioned around it as well as a desk which contained parchment, quills and all manner of interesting things.

My attention was drawn to the double doors leading out onto a large balcony, I wandered out and had a look around. There was a stone ledge against the wall to sit on, with pillows resting on it, forming a comfortable seat overlooking the valley.

Heading back inside I explored the next room, a bedroom. With a huge bed, we're talking King sized here, it was of course given a quality control check. Which meant a few minutes of energetic and somewhat frantic bed bouncing, ending when a knock on the door distracted me, and I did what I'd been threatening to do all evening. Tripping on the hem of the dress as I landed, I fell sideways, luckily landing mostly on the bed. Unluckily not enough of me was on the bed to stop me over balancing and landing in a heap on the floor.

The noise I made which was loud to my human ears must have sounded like a small elephant being dropped from considerable height to the sensitive ears of an elf. It was enough to bring the knocker into the rooms, visibly concerned.

Standing quickly and brushing myself off I tried to look regal to the perplexed elven woman in front of me. "Yes?"

"I bought you some food, as requested by Lady Arwen, M'Lady."

"Kelly," I corrected automatically.

"Forgive me, Lady Kelly." She said with a respectfully little head bob.

"No, no, just Kelly, I um have no title." I almost said 'I'm no lady' but figured they'd most likely have realised that by now.

The servant smiled a little at me then, "Very well Kelly, I am Morwen."

I smiled in response, then remembered my manners, "Thank you, for the food I mean,"

Morwen nodded then began to organise the room, she straightened the bed clothes, which I tried not to be embarrassed about their rumpled state, turned down the blankets, then opened one of the draws in a large oak chest.

She turned to me a white dress in her hands, I took it and shook it out. "There are several night gowns available for you, they should be a suitable fit. One of the seamstresses is altering a dress for you to wear tomorrow, you will have to visit them tomorrow so they may begin a wardrobe for you."

I stared at the night-gown in my arms in surprise, "You really don't have to go through all that trouble for me."

"Oh it's no trouble. Lord Elrond has said that you shall be staying with us for a while, until you feel better at least. We must have you comfortable in that time."

Seemingly finished straightening the already tidy room, Morwen turned to me, "Is there anything else that you require, La...Kelly?"

I glance around the room, "No, I'm good." Although a mini bar would be nice.

She paused a little, probably working through the grammar I had just used. Then dipped her head in a semi-curtsy and turned to leave.

"Morwen, um wait." She stopped in the sitting room and turned back to me, her expression curious. "Uh, how do you say thank you in elvish?" I had a feeling I would be saying it a lot over the coming days.

"Hannon le." Was the gentle reply.

I repeated it a couple of times under my breath until I was sure the pronunciation was as close to hers as I could manage. When I looked up she was almost out the door and in the hallway.

"Morwen," I called again, she stopped and turned once more. "Hannon le." I said and she smiled, did the curtsy head dip, the closed the door silently behind her.

On my own again, I wandered over to the tray of food, not particularly hungry I picked up a roll of bread and took a cautious nibble. Not Lembas, as it didn't fill me up completely.

Bread in hand I resumed my exploration of the suite, the bedroom, other than the chest of draws and bed it had a cupboard to match the chest and a smaller fire place than the sitting room, the walls were all adorned with exquisite tapestries.

I wandered through a doorway into a bathroom, and compared to my old bathroom it was huge, a large bath was built into the floor. Normally I'm a shower person but for this tub I could make an exception, you could swim in there!

Feeling tired I returned to the bedroom, it took me considerably longer to struggle out of the gown than it did to get into it. I'm sure I must have missed a number of fastenings when I tried to remove it, once off I straightened it and checked it for damage. Satisfied that I hadn't ruined one of Arwen's dresses I laid it out on the chest of draws and slipped into the night-gown. It was a soft material, a weird sort of mix, it looked like linen but had a cotton like softness, it fell to just below mid calf and luckily had no fastenings to deal with.

Now comfortably ensconced in the warm bed, I lay staring up at the domed ceiling desperately trying not to think and how come when you try not to think you think about exactly what you don't want to think about? Sighing I rolled over and buried my head in the pillow. I really couldn't deal with this all now. Luckily tiredness caught up with me before I could dwell too much on what was going on.

Sighing I felt myself drifting off to sleep.


End file.
